A new Advisory AI Growth Lab has been launched to accelerate the development and deployment of AI products and services, with legal services the first sector to participate.
Legal services has been chosen as an area where clearer, more joined-up information within existing frameworks can accelerate development.
Building on existing collaboration between legal services regulators, the Lab will bring together the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Legal Services Board. The group will address cross-regulatory challenges, identify any unintended barriers in regulators’ rules, and build a clearer picture of what good regulatory oversight of AI looks like in practice.
Meanwhile, the government will also pilot the use of AI in the Crown Court to speed up justice and cut delays.
A range a new technology projects is being developed, with the aim of delivering improvements across the justice system and tackle the court backlog. This includes AI legal assistants to support legal professionals and staff, and streamlined case management processes.
AI legal assistants will be developed in partnership with the UK’s top legal experts and leading AI developers to support legal professionals with routine casework, such as research and case analysis.
The aim of the technology will be to drive productivity, boost efficiency in the Crown Court, and cut waiting times.
Before being rolled out in the Crown Court, the tech will be trialled in controlled environments that set clear standards for safe and ethical use.
A new AI tool could help to identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together, helping to maximise judicial, prosecutorial and court resources to resolve cases sooner.
Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor David Lammy said: "Artificial intelligence has the power to transform how we live, work, and govern for the better.
"This impact for good can be seen in our justice system – with thousands of days of admin work saved for our probation staff, and the advent of new tools which aim to cut court backlogs and deliver swifter justice for victims."
Every probation officer in England and Wales has now been equipped with Justice Transcribe, an AI tool that automatically records and transcribes conversations with offenders.
